This invention relates to a needle point guard that can be used with needles such as hypodermic needles, catheter introducer needles, and needles used with blood collection assemblies.
Sharp needles are typically used in health care procedures to inject fluid into or withdraw fluid from a patient or to introduce a device such as an intravenous catheter in a patient. After use these needles are disposed of to prevent their reuse. Unfortunately, in emergency situations or through neglect or inattention on the part of health care workers, used needles may stick other people in the area before the used needle is properly discarded. These needle sticks are distracting and uncomfortable at best. In addition, recently there has been great concern over accidental needle sticks because of the advent of certain diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS. Such diseases can be transmitted by the exchange of body fluids from an infected person to another person.
Thus there is a need for a guard that will shield the sharp distal tip of a needle after use. Because of this need, some needle guards have already been designed. Unfortunately, some of these designs are inadequate because they are bulky, difficult to use or require special features on the needle to be operative.